Taster's
by EternalVoid
Summary: A collection of excerpts from stories that I am thinking of writing, as I said, vote and the one you guys like best will be the one I will write.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor any of the characters presented herein, all characters are property of their respective owners and I make no money from this story.

Prologue

The blue sky appeared endless overhead, and even the sun appeared never to move from its stationary spot in the sky. It just hung there like some kind of lamp, not too warm, but just enough that resting in the shade of the single large cherry blossom tree was comfortable. The tree in question sat in the centre of a large clearing that itself seemed to be endless in how far it stretch from horizon to horizon that disappeared into the haze caused by the heat.

The entity observing this looked up at the pink blossoms of the tree and wondered, briefly, if it meant anything. It decided not, it would report it all the same, these things held strange meanings in places such as this.

Suddenly it felt something change, a breeze picked up, allowing the blossoms on the tree to slowly spiral down as trees surrounded the clearing. It wondered whether to add some touches of its own but held back and allowed its own form to change, it was not here to exert its own sizable influence today after all. It looked over to a collection of trees surrounded in shadows and smiled pleasantly when a girl, looking unsure of herself, twin buns of hair on her head, wearing tight green pants and a pink sleeveless blouse that fluttered slightly in the light breeze, appeared at the edge of the clearing.

The girl looked at the entity and smiled softly before walking over.

Chapter One

Sunlight poured through the windows, illuminating the room brightly, revealing its beige walls and wooden flooring. The walls were covered in pieces of paper, pieces of red and yellow string connecting some of them together all over the wall. The place was small with a bedroom and bathroom, all other rooms combined together into one large central one, aside from the paper on the wall of the central room and a few clothes spread out haphazardly the place was nearly spotless.

The bedroom held only a small dresser and a double bed in which she lay, blond hair spilling out around her as she stretched and groaned from the intrusion of light into her few precious hours of sleep that she got a day.

"Fine, I'm up, I'm up" she declared to no one in particular before pushing the thin covers off of herself and standing up, completely naked as she staggered to her dresser and took a moment to glance in her mirror

Her lightly tanned skin shone in the bright white light of the sun, her deep azure eyes took in the sight of herself, stroking her smooth skin and fairly sizable breasts before glancing at the time and sucking her teeth. She quickly grabbed her scattered clothes and pulled them on, a pair of loose black trousers and a white button-up shirt, she decided to forgo her usual jacket and instead made her way to the living room to make herself something to eat before heading out for the day.

She stepped out into the bright light of the early morning and glanced around the town.

The light brown buildings, all roughly cylindrical in shape aside from the Kazekage's, which was itself a rough sphere, seemed to reflect little of the suns light despite its incessant brightness this morning. The cliffs surrounding the village did very little to stop the sunlight from making it uncomfortably warm for the forth day in a row, and even the ninjas wandering around the town, dressed in their usual blue and black uniforms and beige flak jackets, looked uncomfortable under the relentless assault of the sun.

She sighed quietly to herself and decided to get a move on, it would not be long before the Kazekage's children would be at their training grounds, and she needed to be there before then preferably. She started walking while trying not to look up to much due to the sun, passing various people as she moved, many smiling or waving at her as she replied in kind, not bothering to hide the paleness of her own skin when compared to those born and raised in this place.

The training ground was little more than an area outside of the cliffs area, all the better to make sure Gaara did not accidentally snap and kill someone, even with her there to try and reign the monotone girl in, not that Garaa's siblings didn't try to help when such a thing happened.

A sudden blast of wind caused her to duck down and cover her face to avoid being blasted by the sand sent her way by it, she stood and shook herself off, shaking out her hair as she looked towards her destination, seeing three people standing there, one facing her way with a guilty smile on her face while the other watched her approach with a look of cool patience, nearly absent of any expression at all. She walked over to the three people, ignoring the third for now as she walked up to them

"Thanks for that Temari-chan" she said to the first person who looked away with a small smile.

She was the eldest child of the Kazekage, with a personality to match most of the time, with blonde hair the same as hers in four ponytails, and mildly tanned skin with sharp green eyes. She was wearing her usual getup for the moment, which consisted of a light purple-coloured, off-the-shoulders garment that extended halfway down her thighs, which a scarlet sash tied around her waist. In addition she had fishnet over her shoulders and right calf and left thigh. Her headband was worn around her neck for now.

"I didn't know" Temari defended herself with her usual unimpressed expression and she stepped into Temari's personal space

"Really?" she asked and Temari blushed

"Of course Naruko-san" she said after a moments hesitation and Naruko hummed in thought before turning to the youngest of the three siblings

"Good morning Gaara-chan" she said as she gently hugged the red-haired girl, her hair the colour of blood with the single kanji for 'love' carved into her forehead, though it was gradually beginning to disappear now.

She was wearing a red shirt and beige trousers, over which a crimson coat sat, splitting apart a little ways down the middle along the seams of both the front and back, the usual ninja sandals completed the image. Over her shoulder was her gourde held in place by a white piece of cloth.

"Naruko" Gaara replied as though not caring, though a small smile on her face, little more than a twitching of the lips, gave her away somewhat.

"How are you?" Naruko asked Gaara with a warm smile as the other two siblings hung back a little

"I'm fine" she replied and Naruko hugged her briefly

"I'm sure you are, how's she being?" she then asked and the other two looked briefly confused

"Mother has…stopped asking for blood" Gaara replied and Naruko nodded as though satisfied

"That's very good Gaara-chan, now then, how has she been sleeping?" she then asked Temari, her expression loosing some of its softness as the turned to face her

"Better than usual" Temari confessed "her insomnia isn't gone, but it is going" she said and Naruko nodded

"That's fine as well, so how are you Temari-chan?" she then asked as she took a step back from Gaara to give her some space

"Fine, as usual, just restless" she said and Naruko chuckled softly

"I'm sure you are Temari-chan, though I doubt your brother shares it" she said and looked at Kankuro who shook his head

"I'm fine" he replied

Kankuro was the middle sibling and was wearing his usual black, baggy, full body suit with its red and yellow circle on the front with a back hood to cover his head, his forehead protector worn around his forehead, alongside his triangular face paint.

"You say that now" Naruko said with a small smile before turning back to Gaara

"Have you been training with them?" she asked and Gaara hesitated before nodding to the affirmative "doesn't look like it" Naruko said and she shook her head

"She was watching us, I don't think she feels like we'd be enough of a challenge" Temari said and Naruko laughed softly

"I'm sure she doesn't, though at least she hasn't tried to kill either of you for a while" she commented and both elder siblings looked nervous at that though agreeing with Naruko's statement

"Pretty sure that's thanks to you" Kankuro said as he prepared to start up with his puppets a little ways off from them

"Maybe" Naruko muttered as she gently patted Gaara's head who looked up at her for a moment, Naruko smiling at her before Gaara looked away again

"You're not her handler for nothing" Temari said and Naruko shrugged

"Gaara-chan isn't anyones to control as far as I'm concerned" she said

"Which is why neither myself nor Kankuro have a problem with you" Temari said and Naruko hummed softly in thought

"You can keep on believing that if you want" she said and Temari looked away from her while unfurling her fan "despite what you say in your sleep"

"I do not talk in my sleep" Temari denied heatedly and Naruko looked to Gaara who nodded "even you Gaara" Temari muttered and Naruko laughed before patting Temari's head who blushed and tried to brush her off

"Don't worry about it Temari-chan, me and Gaara-chan won't tell anyone will we?" she said and Gaara nodded

"Thanks" Temari muttered quietly to herself as both Naruko and Gaara moved away a little to sit on the hot sand, though Gaara suddenly moved her hand and her gourde popped open and the sand that flowed out of it formed shade above them

"Thank you" Naruko thanked Gaara while leaning over to kiss her cheek gently, brushing some sand out of her hair as she did so

Naruko closed her eyes for a moment and focused, she felt something inside of her shift and when she opened her eyes again she could feel Gaara sitting next to her. The girl appeared content with what was happening at the moment, Temari felt embarrassed and appeared to be muttering under her breath while Kankuro was calm. She blinked as the world appeared to blur slightly as the secondary effects of her ability made itself known, as suddenly all motions appeared to happen twice, one just ahead of the other as Temari moved through her usual katas.

Naruko blinked and released her control, allowing everything to go back to normal as she felt a small headache coming on, she brushed it off however and instead focused on Gaara just as the sand above her darted in front, blocking a strong breeze from striking her and she frowned as she turned back to look at Temari as the sand assumed its original position above her

"What was that?" she asked and Temari shrugged

"You weren't doing anything productive" she said and Naruko rolled her eyes "we're out here training and you don't seem to do anything" she said and Naruko shook her head

"I get paid for working as Gaara's handler, in case you hadn't noticed" she said "and after that fiasco with the water in one of the mines I was given quite a generous sum by the council" she said and Temari smirked while turning away.

Naruko darted forwards silently and swatted at Temari's behind, the girl letting out a startled scream before turning around, dropping her fan as she covered her ass. Her face bright red as she glared daggers at Naruko who was laughing so hard she was struggling to stand up, Kankuro was having to stifle his own laughter and even Gaara appeared to be smiling slightly at the sight of Temari loosing her cool for a few minutes

"Naruko" she growled lowly and Naruko made a placating motion with her hands

"Now now Imotou" Naruko said and Temari blushed even deeper before Naruko hugged her loosely "I'm sorry, I won't do it again" she said softly and Temari nodded, still blushing but no longer annoyed with Naruko

"I wish you wouldn't call me that" she muttered and Naruko laughed

"You don't seem to have a problem with it, it's not like Gaara-chan has a problem with it after all" she said and Temari sighed heavily before starting her practise back up "though now that I know your weakness I think I have the upper hand" she said and Temari looked at her with a raised eyebrow, hips cocked to one side while she looked at her

"Really?" she asked and Naruko nodded

"Any time you do something like that stunt earlier I can…what's the word? Spank you? And you can't get me back because Gaara-chan will protect me" she said with a sly grin at Temari's indignant expression

"Gaara can't always protect you" she eventually said threateningly and Naruko hid behind Gaara playfully

"I'll just have to sleep with her then won't I?" she said and Temari's eyes went wide

"You…" she trailed off as she put a hand over her mouth and Naruko laughed

"It's fine, it's fine, get on with training then, I'll just be sleeping over here"

After the siblings went back to their training Naruko lay back on the sand and thought about the past.

She had arrived in Suna a good few years back now, having travelled through the desert to reach her chosen destination after leaving Konoha, having had quite enough of living with the hatred of an entire village and trying to make some kind of difference to that outlook. So she had wound up in Suna, she had been greeted suspiciously at first but had been allowed entry after proving she was no longer a citizen of Konoha and had no officially ninja training and was carrying nothing but some survival stuff, money, and the clothes on her back.

She had proceeded to earn quite the reputation in the town after staying a few months. Her first port of call had been to speak to Gaara despite warnings to the contrary. Gaara had treated her as coldly as anyone else but thanks to her unique ability and her calm persistence, even when threatened by Gaara's sand, she had eventually earned a kind of acceptance by Gaara, a kind of 'I like you, I'll kill you last' kind of thing.

Then the water issues had arouse. Living in a desert was not the easiest thing in the world and water was always a major issue for many of the towns that existed inside of the desert to on the boundaries of it. After a particularly dry season left the aquifers running low there had been talks of the town, despite having little to no money to spare, having to buy water from the outside to carry on functioning well enough as a military power. Naruko had quickly discovered that the merchants that had offered to sell the water were actually taking it from a mine a few miles north of the village that had encountered an undiscovered stream flowing underground to a separate aquifer that was very far underground.

She had reported it and been awarded nominal citizenship for her effects, meaning she was, for all intents and purposes, a citizen of Suna and subject to both its laws and its protection via its military, allowing her to purchase property in the town, along with being granted a sizable sum of money for the saving of the town. The money was far less than they had been expecting to pay for the water, but was more than enough for Naruko to purchase her own home and furniture of go along with it.

Since then things had only improved, her ability gave her insight into the inner workings of the town and as such she was better able to help Gaara, and by proxy her two siblings, who had also come to view her as a close friend, nearly family. The ultimate test had come when Gaara had snapped after a particularly intense night and attempted to release the demon inside of her. As the village had prepared to be attacked from within once again Naruko had approached Gaara and hugged her before gently asking her to calm down.

After several minutes of her calmly embracing Gaara the young demon container had calmed down and a potential disaster had been averted thanks to her. She was named Gaara's Handler, a rather well paid job that simply required her to keep Gaara calm and stable, not that she was needed to do that. Not that they needed to know that.

It was after that that Gaara had appeared to fully accept her as one of the family, and as such now protected her as such.

When she next awoke the sun had moved past its high point and was beginning its gradual descent towards the horizon. She was still out in the desert with Gaara's sand shielding her, Gaara herself sitting off to one side and her two siblings were absent

"Afternoon" she muttered as she sat up, blinking when Gaara moved forwards and brushed sand out of her hair "thank you Gaara-chan" she said with a warm smile and Gaara nodded while sitting back

"They went back" she then said and Naruko nodded

"Left you here did they? Nice of them, well then, lets go back, no doubt they forgot that I was meant to be taking Temari out today as well" she said as she and Gaara both stood, the san above her flowing back into the gourde on Gaara's back before they made their way down the narrow gully towards the gates where two guards stood. Naruko glanced up to catch the eyes of the guards watching them from above, or more specifically, watching Gaara. She glared at them and they looked away as they both moved through the gates, neither guard making an attempt to move towards them.

Despite being Gaara's handler Naruko was not in control of her, and Gaara had killed on several occasions despite Naruko asking her not to, she only reduced the likelihood of Gaara going slightly mad and killing everyone in sight including the current Kazekage, which Naruko certainly did not need or want. She didn't even want to imagine the political shit-storm that would cause in the village despite the relatively clear line of succession for who was to fill the role next. It would be one of the Kazekage's children certainly, though many argued that none of them were fit for the role.

Naruko shook her head before seeing Temari standing the her arms crossed, looking put out for some reason

"Afternoon Temari-chan" Naruko greeted her

"Don't give me that, you were meant to be taking me out tonight" Temari said while jabbing a finger at Naruko who smirked

"You should've woken me up then" she said

"You should have got more sleep" Temari replied and Naruko chuckled softly before leaning in closer

"Is that you saying that you didn't want to wake me up?" she asked and Temari glared at her but didn't deny it

"Let's go" she said at length and Naruko chuckled softly before turning to Gaara

"I need to go and feed her" she said while gesturing back at Temari who hissed at her "can I trust you not to kill anyone tonight?" she asked and Gaara nodded

"Yes" she said simply and Naruko smiled while patting her on the head

"Okay then, I'll see you tomorrow Gaara-chan" she said before gently putting an arm around Temari who flushed and tried to pull away

"What're you doing?" she demanded and Naruko smiled softly

"Taking you out, I don't like the look some of those lads were giving you once Gaara was gone" she said and Temari flushed and pulled away, but allowed Naruko to take her hand "come on Imotou, lets get something to eat" she said and Temari nodded, looking down in embarrassment as Naruko led her to the usual small restaurant that they went to on nights like this.

Naruko sighed as she sat in her apartment, legs crossed as she slowed her breathing and began to relax.

She had just got home after having dinner with Temari before escorting her home, slightly tipsy as she was. They had spoke briefly and Temari had gone off to bed, Naruko had to admit that the girl appeared beautiful whether she was fighting, embarrassed, or just plain drunk.

She hadn't been like that at all when they first met several years ago though, none of them had been very relaxed at all when she had arrived and first made contact with Gaara. That had been a jarring and stressful few months while she attempted to locate a way to get herself into everyone's good books so they stopped eyeing her so suspiciously whenever she went to go and speak to their 'weapon'.

She had found it in the minds of several bankrupt miners who had thought it would be a good idea to screw over the entire village and leave an entire country befit of its military power. She had put a stop to that pretty quickly, ruining their chances at striking it rich quickly, last thing she knew they had moved on to Grass, though she had heard through the vine that they had not lasted long in there.

Since then she had come into contact with the siblings of said weapon often enough. Their fear of their sister was palpable even without her ability, they said very little and anything that was said was only done so to keep Gaara calm or attempt to influence whatever it was that she was going to do next, good or bad. She had even had the misfortune of meeting the Kazekage. He was a man with cold eyes and even colder manner. She hoped she never had to meet him again, especially after he had all but threatened her about trying to get close to Gaara. She had ignored him, just as she had ignored the Hokage in Konoha.

Both Temari and Kankuro refused to trust her an inch for several months, going so far as to move their training grounds away from their usual area, not that it bothered Naruko at all, she was more interested in helping Gaara after all. Although she had taken the time to place an Avatar inside of Temari in order to try and help her out with some of her biggest issues. Namely her sister and her father.

It had worked eventually and Temari had come to trust her and, by proxy, Kankuro had too. That trust had only deepened when she had prevented Gaara from turning simply by hugging her and asking her not to, that had really been the turning point and since then the bond had only deepened.

For Gaara, she came out of her shell a little and reforged the bonds she should've had with her brother and sister, though not before creating a bond with Naruko first. After that she had mellowed out and relaxed somewhat, killing very rarely if asked not to by Naruko, and even in general the survival rate went from zero to around four out of ten times, which was an incredible improvement given how she had been. The changes in Kankuro was far less marked, with his manner loosening up slightly, though that cocky attitude of his never quite went away, though it rarely surfaced around either herself or Temari.

Speaking of Temari she had also changed quite a bit from their first meeting. She had been cold and blunt, appearing to care about very little aside for herself or the missions she undertook. However in time that had dissipated, revealing a young woman uncertain about her own self-image and deeply concerned about Gaara and willing to go to the greatest extremes to protect her family, which eventually came to include Naruko, although their relationship was more than a little complicated in that regard. She, to, had loosened up and stopped being so hard on herself and had even begun to speak back to her father when matters concerned Gaara, earning her fathers ire but increasing her own self-confidence a thousand fold.

She had become a better person, though some things could never be changed. Like her inability to be honest to either herself or others about her feelings or reasons for her actions when of an uncomfortable or personal nature. Not that it bothered Naruko at all, she was used to dealing with people like her after all.

Naruko sighed to herself once again and relaxed even further, feeling herself beginning to drift off before she made it to her bed and was out like a light.

The landscape was the same as always, the entity though to itself, sand surrounding a small village with a pond in what passed for a park here. The sky never changed either, still a bright ball of white hovering over the landscape.

The entity wondered if it should bother inducing any changes tonight, but thought better of it, its mission was not to interfere in any other manner than was necessary for her targets continued improvement. She had no need to convince the subject that she was in a dream after all, that could always be saved for later after all.

The entity looked over to one of the buildings from where it was sitting, on a bench before the pool of water, the water appearing fresh and clear to her as she looked towards the Kazekage's residence just in time to see her subject exit the structure and walk over to her.

Temari was wearing far less than she usually did, the entity observed while wondering if it was because of the familiarity of the surroundings or because Temari's subconscious was beginning to realise that this place was not as real as it first appeared to be. Temari herself was dressed in black shorts and a beige top with mesh underneath it all.

"Naruko-chan" she greeted the entity with a smile as it smiled back, feeling itself change and shift in accordance to what Temari thought she should look like, her clothes shifting slightly as the most recent memory of her meeting Naruko was applied.

The entity was not Naruko, it knew that, it was a mimicry created by Naruko to facilitate this action, a copy with a set of instructions, it was not truly alive…it was pseudo-immortal it decided, not alive and therefore not able to die. But that was a philosophical idea at best, upon completion of its mission it would rejoin Naruko, or more specifically, vanish from the mind of Temari while giving all its memories and the like to Naruko. Which was roughly the same thing.

"Hello Temari" she replied without the honorific as it slipped into its role in this dream more firmly

"What're you doing here?" Temari asked without noting that anything was amiss, a common response for those inside of their dreams and not aware of it, the mind had the most impressive ability to adapt and accept events if allowed to

"I just wanted to talk" she replied to the girl with a smile as Temari sat on the bench next to her, their bodies pressing together, a far cry from how Temari was in the real world when with Naruko

"About what?" Temari asked after a few moments of silence while the entity sat back a bit more and looked up, wincing at the bright intensity of the sun

"About stuff" it replied "like what happened with me tonight" she said and Temari blushed a little

"I…"

"Why do you act like that Temari, you know I won't dislike you for being more honest" it said and Temari nodded

"Its how I am" she replied and the entity laughed softly while stroking its hand through Temari's soft hair

"Yeah, it is" she said with a soft voice that made Temari sigh

"I wish you'd stop calling me your little sister though" she said and the entity smiled at her again

"Why? Gaara doesn't hate it, and neither do you" she replied

"Because it feels uncomfortable"

"Because you like me?" the entity asked Temari softly and she blushed furiously but nodded a bit

"I do" she said "but I'm not sure…" she trailed off an the entity laughed again while gently kissing her forehead, making the young woman gasp and blush furiously though she didn't pull away from the entity as she did it

"It's fine, you don't have to explain right now" it said and Temari nodded

"Thanks" she muttered in response

"You itching for a new mission huh?" it then asked and Temari nodded while sighing

"I'm getting so annoyed just sitting in the village, Gaara's not going to go nuts on a basic mission like she used to" Temari said and the entity nodded while removing Temari's hair from its usual ponytails before continuing to run its hand through it, watching as Temari appeared to relax even more at its actions

"I know, but that doesn't mean the council's happy about it" it said and Temari sighed "besides you can't be that bored, you do a lot of training after all, and it's not like you couldn't go and get a boyfriend if you wanted either, for a bit of fun" it said and Temari frowned slightly

"I'm not improving as much as I used to, an anyway there aren't any guys with the guts to approach me, especially when Gaara's nearby" she said with a bit of bite and the entity laughed softly

"Well your personality certainly doesn't do you any favours either" it said and Temari pouted

"Well they should have more guts then, at least I've never failed a mission" she said

"Yeah sure, that bandit one was a close call though" it said and Temari blushed again

"I still succeeded" she defended herself

"Thanks to Gaara" it responded and Temari pouted

"Yeah…well"

"I'm only teasing Temari, besides which, are you not confident with your body?" it asked and Temari frowned and opened her mouth before shutting it again and thinking some more

"I don't know" she eventually replied "no guy has ever shown an interest, and besides I'm not meant to look pretty, I'm a ninja" she said an Naruko leaned down so their foreheads were pressed together and Temari had to look it in the eyes

"You are very beautiful Temari" she said seriously and Temari blushed and stuttered before going silent "very, very beautiful"

"What about Gaara?" she eventually said and the entity smiled while moving back to give her some space

"She's pretty in her own way, but I know she doesn't care about that" it replied and Temari nodded

"Suppose not" she muttered and the entity laughed once again

"Don't sound so disappointed Temari, she is your sister after all" it reminded her and Temari nodded

"Yeah, god I wish you'd say that more often" she muttered and the entity smiled softly at her

"I'm sure I will" it said and Temari nodded "anyway, what about the Chunin exams?" it asked and Temari scoffed

"I don't even know if we're being entered, the Kazekage's being secretive again" she complained with a growl

"You did insult him after all"

"He was being unfair to Gaara, I wasn't going to sit there and let him do that"

"I know, good girl" the entity said and gently hugged Temari to her while she sighed softly and rested her head on the shoulder of the entity

"I just hope Gaara carries on getting better, she really likes you" she said and it nodded

"I know, I like Gaara a lot as well"

"I'm sorry for being so harsh when we first met"

"I expected it so don't worry, I'd be suspicious as well, hell, the Kazekage still doesn't trust me"

"Miserable old bastard" she hissed

"He's the most powerful man in the village so I'd be careful about saying that to his face" it said though it still laughed softly at Temari's statement

"I'm not that bad" Temari retorted before sighing softly

"It'll get better soon Temari, don't worry"

"How can you know that? There's even talk that we'll end up allying with that new ninja town soon"

"Well, who knows? There are always snakes in the tall grass" it said cryptically and Temari looked at it strangely before yawning softly

"What?" she wondered to herself and the entity sighed before gently hugging Temari

"Sleep now" it said quietly as the scene around it began to darken and dissolve into the blackness

"No…" Temari whimpered but she was already exciting the dream and descending into sleep

"Sleep" it said again as the world vanished into the void and the entity sighed before allowing its form to dissipate again.

It had something to give its creator now, that rumour about Grass was especially interesting, it also needed permission to go through with one of its more radical ideas, it, like its creator, wanted what was best for Temari after all.

Naruko awoke to the sound of someone knocking on her front door. She yawned and stretched briefly before slipping on some clothes, even as the knocking became increasingly insistent until she opened the door, wincing at the bright early morning light

"Uzumaki-san" a Chunin said while standing in front of her

"What is it?" she asked while covering her mouth as another yawn escaped her

"The Kazekage has commanded your presence" he said sharply and Naruko nodded

"This is about Gaara I take it?"

"That is correct"

"Okay then" she said before stepping out of the house, locking it before walking towards the Kazekage's building, not bothering to look at the Chunin hanging slightly back. Another consequence of being Gaara's handler was the fact that many of the populace did not wish to annoy her, out of the, false, belief that she would have Gaara kill them for it, she almost found such an idea funny, but right now she was not in the best of moods, having not had anything to eat yet.

She quickly made it to the office and the secretary waved her in uninterestedly. The light brown walls and many windows glowed softly with the orange light, the building was technically the highest point in the village other that the cliff defences, with the office hosted on the first floor and the council chambers above that, the same as many other villages, or at least the same set up as Konoha, although their tower was significantly taller than this one. It felt a little cold as she entered the office.

She ignored the people for the moment as she glanced around the place, the area being almost totally sparse of any kind of identifying characteristic, there were not even any images of his family in the office. She had passed by the four statues of the previous Kazekage's outside, however they were a far cry from the faces carved into the mountain behind Konoha, though she preferred it that way, arrogance and pride killed more than any blade, she had found in her years of being around ninjas.

"You come at last Uzumaki-san" the Kazekage said in a gruff tone and she bowed to the man

"My apologies Kazekage-sama, I was unaware of this meeting until but five minutes ago" she said and he nodded

"Very well then, I wish you to tell me how Gaara is doing right now" he said and she nodded while ignoring the presence of the three siblings standing to one side of her as she faced the man.

She had attained a reputation for being professional when acting away from the siblings, a patient and calm individual who was impossible to shake regardless of events or words said. That had only helped her once she had been made Gaara's handler, her lack of emotional extremes made her very useful as she was somewhat the opposite to Gaara who tended to exhibit extreme rage

"As you wish Kazekage-sama. Over the past three weeks Gaara-san has shown a marked improvement in her ability to control her emotional outbursts, and has, on near eight of ten occasions, held back short on killing individuals when asked to by myself and on some occasions when requested by her siblings. She had also experienced no visible instabilities in her psyche over the past six months, as stated in my last report" she said in a clipped, professional tone

"So, she is stable now?" he asked carefully and she shook her head

"She still kills regardless of what I request, though I am unsure as to why, but her lack of psychotic episodes is certainly a good sign" she responded and the Kazekage nodded thoughtfully as Naruko stood at ease, hands clasped together behind her back as she waited for him. As much as she hated the man he was the Kazekage after all.

"Very well, you can have the mission" he then said, speaking to the siblings "you will go with them Uzumaki-san" he said and she nodded

"Of course Kazekage-sama" she said and he nodded and the four of them left his office and walked back outside before Naruko groaned and stretched

"Bastard" she muttered under her breath as she closed her eyes and felt something rejoin her for a moment, she blinked and smiled to herself as her Avatar reported back on last nights dreams from Temari

"Thank you Naruko-chan" Temari said to her and Naruko blinked

"For what? I only told the truth" she said and Temari looked at her suspiciously

"What about that thing last month?" she asked and Naruko sighed

"That was nothing more than her trying to defend me, I don't consider that an episode" she said and Temari nodded

"If you say so" she replied and Naruko nodded

"Well, I'm going to go and get something to eat before I die, come on Temari-chan" she said and Temari blinked before Naruko grinned and pulled her along while waving to the other two who walked off even as Temari tried to pull free

"What?" she asked as they walked into a small restaurant and sat down

"I want something to eat" Naruko replied and Temari growled at her

"I'm not going to sit here and watch you" she said sharply and Naruko smiled even as she spoke to the waitress

"I know that, I just wanted to talk about this mission with you" she said

"Why not Gaara or Kankuro?" she asked and Naruko looked at her

"Kankuro's awkward enough around me and I don't think Gaara-chan would give me a clear answer to my questions"

"Fair point" Temari muttered

"So, what's the mission?" she asked as her food arrived

"Usual hunting for bandits" Temari replied and Naruko nodded

"I see" she muttered even as she held out some food for Temari who blushed "go on" she urged her and Temari ate it quickly, blushing all the while

"Why do you do stuff like that?" she asked irritably and Naruko looked at her

"Because you look beautiful when you blush" she said and Temari blushed again while looking around

"Don't say that" she hissed and Naruko laughed

"You're so cute when you get embarrassed, don't worry Temari-chan, if you really don't like it I won't say it in public again" she said and Temari nodded, still blushing quite a lot from Naruko's compliment

_**This is the first of the collection I said I was going to do, this collection will be updated more or less daily for the next week or so. As I said initially, vote, and I will write the one you guys like the best. **_

_**At the end I may put a poll up on my blog to help me out.**_

_**Other than that, please do Review, it helps me a lot anyway, and have a nice day everyone.**_


	2. Chapter 2: Reaper

Prologue

They say that hope begins in the darkness, but most just flail around, looking for a way out. They say that nothing can dwell in darkness for long, that no man alive can survive the coldness of isolation. That being steeped in that dark void is a path of self-destruction that leads only to death. But…everyone dies, not everyone wants to, but its the one immutable truth that can never be changed or altered, no matter how much you pray or worship your mechanical gods of empty and soulless logic.

Naruko accepted this truth without so much as a wince. Even as she broke another bone against her own efforts she held on to that solid truth, the one absolute that you can be assured is really true. Death may be avoided, dodged, held back or delayed. But ultimately it wins, regardless of what you may try to do.

The book in her hands spoke of these truths in various terms. The training the book was designed for was made to push you to the brink of death over and over again until you breathed the same cold air, felt its chill bones over your arms and saw its wings folding over your eyes in every waking moment. To accept death, meant becoming one with it through this training. But such realisations always bear a price with them. And this prices was the heaviest of all. Pain, near constant through the training, the splintering of bones and rending of sentient quivering flesh on blades wielded by your own hands.

It was not about self-mutilation or pain for the sake of pain. This was designed to produce the best killers the world had ever had the misfortune to know, men and women that had changed to world, even if the other ninety percent had died in going through the training. Within several years the eyes of a youngster would gain that same darkness possessed by those far older and wiser than they, having seen things that would break lesser souls and gone through training that would kill or cripple almost anyone else.

Naruko had never expected to find this kind of book when she fled from Konoha. Buried in a cavern underground, which she had entered to seek shelter from the storm, she had found a training ground and the various images and simulations they had used to train the greatest of all their operatives. Shadows, as they became known, and only nine of them were ever produced. But it was Delta, the force of change, which had truly been their greatest creation. However he had refused to bow, even with their conditioning singing their praises in his brain he had used his immense skills to murder each and every one involved in the project, from the trainers themselves to their backers, no matter how powerful they were. He had then killed the other operatives before vanishing into time.

But such power was not easily forgotten by the world and now this journal carried his story across the eras to her.

She treasured it as she trained, using all its possible methods to make herself better and better, improving all the while as the world forgot about her and she was free to break the chains on her own and shake off the collar that had kept her bound for so many years.

She had fled Konoha amongst a hail of storm and fire. Their cries ringing in the air as they chased her, blood still dripping from her hands as she moved into the forests and quickly lost them in the foliage. Killing held a power for her, an addictive power, and she had killed her sixth victim, another murderer, before they had realised it was her and chased her out of the village, unwilling to involve greater forces lest she release they very thing they all truly feared.

So here she sat, training and training, becoming ever stronger as she improved more and more, slowly moving above and beyond human limits, all the while never forgetting her purpose, nor the crimes visited against her by those who had once called themselves hero's and martyrs.

Chapter One: The Sound of Silence

The sun was low in the sky, its light beginning to grow as time slowly ticked by, accompanied by the birds beginning to sing into the cool morning air as the nightlife scurried back home and hunkered down for another days rest. The trees moved in the breeze and she sighed to herself as the light danced on the ground before her, the leaves blocking most of it, even as a cloud lazily blocked the sun for a few moments before drifting on by. She flicked the blade in her hand round and over, absently dancing an intricate dance in her hand as its bright silver flashed in the light before dimming away as it reentered the shadows she dwelt under.

A noise. The sounds of footsteps and laughing came down the path as she turned her head slightly, the hood still hiding her face from view as she saw the three men walking down the path, a few obscene words and gestures told her what she needed to know, along with the symbol carved onto the plates of metal hung around their neck. She waited for them to draw closer, feeling something change within her

"She looks good" one of them said as they reached her "you lost pretty" he growled as his friends chuckled, hands on the hilts of their swords as they watched, even as the commander of the men stood back, narrowing his eyes at her even as the man pulled her hood down, revealing her short hair and the single scar running down over her eye.

She flicked the knife again and he fell back, blood gushing in a glorious crimson arc from the wound on his neck as those around her watched with wide eyes.

She flicked her wrist and the other two fell back, one clutching at his heart while the other one chocked on his own blood, clawing at his neck as she stood, her cloak flowing around her as she faced the commander

"Impressive" he intoned mockingly "who are you? I've never seen you in any Bingo book" he said and she looked at him as she opened her cloak to reveal dozens of blades on belts from both shoulders to each side of her hips, along with several pouches on the belt around her waist along with another batch of knives.

The man gripped his weapon before falling forwards, dead from the blade stuck into his eye, lodged into his brain.

"Come out" she called out in a sing-song tone "servants of the monster, the monster of monsters" she said and in a blur five individuals appeared before her eyes, all but one being female they watched her with amusement and boredom

"It is impressive that you were able to sense us" their apparent leader said, appearing tall and pale, with odd markings on his face

"You smell of death, all of you, but not of power" she told them bluntly "you are slaves of the Snake yes?" she then asked as the red-haired girl bristled at her tone

"You bitch" she snarled only for their leader to hold her back with an arm

"We serve Orochimaru-sama yes" he answered and she nodded while a blade danced in her hand once again

"I see…yes, he may serve my purposes well" she said to them

"Serve…you?" another asked in two voices and she smiled dangerously

"What does it matter who serves who? We all dance to one another's tunes after all, I simply freed those men from that dance back there" she said and the pale one frowned deeply

"Do not disrespect Orochimaru-sama, he is far more powerful and brilliant than you" he said and she laughed

"I wonder, death will be the judge of that I think" she said with a slightly mad grin

"Orochimaru-sama will never die" he said and she laughed again

"He will, he will. It'll just be a matter of how and when, no one can run forever" she said and he all but snarled as the other four jumped back

"Your name" he demanded and she threw off her cloak while chuckling to herself at some private joke

"Delta" she said as he ripped out several of his bones to form two katanas, Delta did not even blink as he did so

"You do not find that disturbing?" he asked her and she laughed quietly

"No" she said simply before moving towards him at speed, taking him by surprise as her first strike brushed across his chest, leaving a small wound where the blade had brushed the skin.

She danced around his blows, easily parrying or avoiding him while lightning fast strikes teased his defences, seeking a way in. She did not wait, did not hold back, she went in from the word go with the intention of killing him and the others as quickly and efficiently as possible. Just as her training had taught her to do.

He blocked and parried and she soon found a layer of bone had formed beneath his skin. But it did not matter, no defence was perfect after all, even as strange markings spread around his form and he continued to attack her, moving faster and faster as he danced alongside her, his face a mask of aggravation and amazement, hers a mask of death. Cold and unyielding even when blades nearly ended her life.

Suddenly she leapt back and pulled out a scroll, swiping a single thumb across it a black sheath emerged, she pulled the blade from it, revealing the shine of a well cared for blade. Without hesitation she darted in, closing with him swiftly as she struck, feeling the blade easily slice through his thickened bone and bit into the mortal flesh and blood beneath it, hearing him gasp in pain and astonishment she leapt back as a haunting melody began to fill the air. A blade sliced into a tree, causing the red-head to gasp as her flute was struck by a knife that wedged itself into it.

"Power borrowed is not power" she said simply as she spun to kick the larger fellow in the face, having heard his hands slapping together as he prepared a technique, a blade cut into his tendon as his hand went limp, useless for now as she turned to the other and sent two blades whistling towards him as she spun and kicked away a blow from the bone wielder, slicing his side with her blade before she leapt back again

"Stop" the leader gasped and she re-sheathed her blade in the blink of an eye before watching as two of them supported their leader as they all watched her carefully

"Deaths wings close around you, bone-user, you will die soon" she said without blinking as she relaxed again, an easy but dangerous stance in their eyes

"It does…we will take you to Orochimaru-sama, he will judge whether you'll be accepted or not" he said and she nodded

"Very well, we shall see if I resist the Snake's hypnotic gaze better than you all" she said "I think I'll walk behind you, by the way, wouldn't want you planting a blade in my back" she said and he frowned but nodded

"You are strong, a worthy opponent" he said and she nodded

"You are also strong, but you are not worthy. Your strength is borrowed, and you will never bleed for your ideals nor place stock in your own life…lead on, I wish see if the Sannin truly are as powerful as they stories say"

The morning was well underway when the village finally came into view, surrounded by its makeshift walls and patrolling guards looking at least somewhat more professional than those the Sound five had been travelling with. The village inside the walls smelt like death to her, this was a place where power was all that mattered, your survived or you died. It was survivalism at its best and Delta watched it closely, observing the interactions of its inhabitants

"Your name really Delta?" Tayuya, the red haired girl, asked her as they approached the walls, looking at her with a glare as she held her flute, partly damaged by Delta's knives

"As far as you know" she replied, not looking at her as they approached the gate

"Hmph, you keep that up and Orochimaru-sama will have your head on a spike" she threatened and Naruko looked at her, something both seductive and deadly about her gaze that made Tayuya take a step back

"He is free to try, but you should know I do not fear the void that awaits us all" she said and Tayuya looked away

"Think your so tough" she muttered under her breath

"You will have to swear an oath of Orochimaru-sama if you wish to live here" Kimoro, the bone-user, told her before coughing up a little blood

"We shall see if the Snake can put me on my knees first" she said

"You respect strength then?" Tayuya asked her and she paused for a moment, considering the question

"Not in the same way you five do, I suspect. I respect more than physical power" she explained as one of the gate guards reached out to stop her only to cry out as his hand was sudden severed from the rest of his body

"Hold Delta" Kimoro ordered her only for her to smile slightly at him in a way that made him frown before leading the way deeper into the village

"This place reeks of desperation" Delta muttered to herself as they approached a large building in the centre before making their way down beneath the village into a secured bunker "and in desperation, there is opportunity" she said and Tayuya shot her an odd glance

"Your crazier than most of us" she said and Delta smiled again

"Perhaps I am, but we shall see the Snake thinks. How ironic, for the Snake to hide in the tall Grass" she said with a chuckle even as she was led to the lower level and shown into the large area where her target sat, watching them all with a small smile that was a little too wide

"Orochimaru-sama" the Sound five intoned as they went onto their knees, Delta standing behind them as she sniffed the air

"Death" she said clearly, voice echoing "despair, blood, rape…darkness. This place is steeped in the void" she said as she turned her eyes, like purest glacial waters, onto the man in front of her, moving past the Sound five as they remained bowed

"Who is this?" the man asked

"I am Delta, Snake, I am here because I am strong and I believe you can help me" she said as a man next to Orochimaru moved out of the shadows

"You should show some respect" he said with a smile to match his masters

"Lie in silence worm, I am here to speak to your master, not a slave" she said in that same almost playful tone of voice as always as the man's smile widened and Orochimaru registered some surprise at her words

"You are either very brave or very stupid to say such things here" he said and she chuckled softly as faced him under her hood

"The same could be said of many, but let us dispense with these peasantries. You desire those who are strong to fight for you, and I can fit that bill" she said and he laughed, a soft hissing sound that would've made any but Delta shiver in fear and disgust

"You think you are strong?" he asked her and she threw off her cloak once more

"Death will decide that, I think" she replied and he grunted

"Kabuto…kill her" he said and Kabuto, the man beside him, grinned before stepping in front of her

"I anoint myself with my own life" she muttered as she revealed her blade, throwing the sheath away as she smeared blood on her sword arm and seals faintly glowed before vanishing from it as she took up position with the sword held high

"Well…" Kabuto started but Delta was already moving, covering the few meters between them in a blur of speed as her blade sought out its target, her sword arm blurring as the blade bit into the steel of a kunai and sliced through it with barely a pause, her feeling the tip slice through flesh before she twisted and slashed again, Kabuto dodging away as she thrust it, slicing his cheek as she relentlessly assaulted him, denying him a moments rest as he sought to utilise his lethal medical skills to end her life.

He knocked her black a step but before he could even take a breath she was cutting through air to meet his hand that remained outstretched. He pulled it in and darted away as Delta came in again and again, not pausing once, easily predicting and counter-attacking at every move he tried to make, repeatedly healing wounds that reopened a few moments later

"Damn you" he howled in frustration and lashed out at her even as she twisted away and pulled out a blade, stabbing at his elbow to disable it, another blow to his knees made him kneel before a third and final twist sent her blade towards him neck, Kabuto only just pushing himself forwards to avoid the blow as it skimmed the back of his neck, making him gasp in fear at how close he had come to losing his life.

He healed and twisted to strike out only to find her activating another sealing array on her right leg, her speed suddenly increasing as she attacked again, dancing around him as her blade met flesh over and over again, each blow strong enough to splinter bone, the sword cutting kunai after kunai in half without any signs of damage or slowing down.

The Sound five had moved away to avoid the fight, Delta breathing steadily while Kabuto's composure began to slip as his movements became more and more desperate

"Deaths wings close around you" she whispered softly, almost seductively, before the blade stabbed through his middle, Kabuto twisting to avoid anything major before shoving her away and falling to one knee as he panted softly and healed up the wounds as she watched him

"Pathetic" she muttered as he stood up, readjusting his glasses as he did so before facing her again

"You're cheating" he said with a sick grin and she took up her stance once more

"My power was earned, and I pay my price every second of this battle. Your own strength is little more than words and poison…you are not worthy of my respect" she told him before she moved, faster than before, towards Kabuto who twisted to feel the blade pressed against his shoulder

"Stop" Orochimaru called out and the blade halted the moment the word left his mouth and Delta retrieved her sheath, re-sheathing her blade as she turned to face Orochimaru who stood before her, looking impressed

"You're boasts weren't lies after all" he said and she smirked slightly

"However it appears your slaves were" she said and he frowned at that

"So…you want more power" he said and she uttered a short laugh

"No, I have power, I only seek a place to use it, to find one I respect" she told him as he sat back down

"Then, what of me?" he asked as she grinned a grin that made Orochimaru frown

"I gaze upon a dealer of death, who flees from death. A monster of monsters, a betrayer, a lier, a hypocrite. _Miro a los muertos_ (I gaze upon the dead)" she said and Orochimaru laughed heartily

"And yet you will still join me?" he asked her mockingly and she nodded

"Of course, death cannot be where death is not, after all" she said and he smiled

"Then, kneel and swear an oath" he told her and she unsheathed her blade only to point it straight at him

"I serve my mistress, death, first and foremost, myself second, and you last. In death, all things are equal Snake. I will obey for now, but know that hourglass around your neck as already begun to count the grains of sand. But I do not think it will be my hand that finally allows my mistress to have her fill of you" she said and Orochimaru all but snarled but still nodded

"Good enough" he said through gritted teeth "report to the barracks for your equipment and then go get a mission, we'll be sending you on special ones since you're so powerful" he snarled and she nodded

"Good" she said and walked out of the room, leaving Orochimaru and his lackey's to seethe while she attempted to find her way through the maze of corridors and the like that ran through this place like a rabbits warren.

She moved through the cool air of the underground base with a grace easily belying her dangerous nature. Those who saw her moved to either side without knowing either her name or her deeds, only knowing that on some level they should not be near or, nor try to touch her unless they wished to taste the sting of her sword, her finger tapping it in a slow rhythm as she wandered around the base before moving up to the first floor where all of the administration tastes were carried out, along with the serving of food and some of the lodgings for the various mercenaries and the like, the rest being on the second floor where some of the training rooms were along with the places for Orochimaru's most trusted men.

She walked into the empty room, it being quite early in the day

"You must be Delta" the man, scars lining one side of his face, said as he pulled out a jacket, and a forehead protector "don't know what you did to get promoted so high so fast, here" he said as he handed her the stuff and she slipped it on without complaint

"A Jonin already" she said as she touched the tough fabric "so he was true to his word, should be fun" she smiled slightly

"If you say so, you can get something to eat downstairs, or in town if you've got the coin to spare, otherwise you need to go to training ground seventeen" he said and she nodded as she left the room as men began to arrive, though even they avoided her somewhat as she took the stairs down and stepped out into a place smelling of sweat, tears and fear. Blood was spilled here from time to time and the vents providing the place fresh air did not do quite enough to removing the smell from the air.

She did not need to see the dorms to see what they would look like, she would sleep under that stars as she had done for so many years now, even during the summer storms and winters biting chill.

Instead she went to the cafeteria and walked inside to find the place packed with men and a few women who were not having a good time of it. She felt a hand reach out to touch her, but a flick of a dagger was enough to deter them as they noticed her jacket and the number of weapons she was carrying

"Compensating" someone muttered and she faced him, her own cold eyes draining his of the fire they had held when he had made his comment

After a few moments she turned away and he breathed again and she gliding through the crowd of men, her grace causing even the most boisterous to think twice about trying to have a go.

"Let go" a voice suddenly said, full of defiance despite the fear in the underlying timbre of the voice. Delta turned and moved towards the source, a young woman of perhaps sixteen or seventeen, dressed with a camo scarf around her neck and a skirt of the same material, black shorts underneath that and a sleeveless top with needles along a belt.

Three men were pressing against her, grinning with an expression that made Delta sigh as a blade appeared in her hand before it pressed against one of the men, tracing his jugular as he suddenly went completely rigid

"Let her go" she said as her other hand removed two more knives and readied itself

"You ain't got the guts lov'" the man said and she glanced at the other two

"Why not?"

"Kabuto'll kill ya" one of them explained and she grinned

"_He_ will, that will be quite something then, I look forward to it" she said as her blade began to bite into his skin as blood began to trickle out of his neck

"Delta" a voice suddenly called out that made them all go rigid save Delta who turned to face Kabuto who had that sick smile on his face again

"Can you not kill him?" he asked her and she hummed for a moment

"I'm sure the Snake has more of them" she said

"That may be so, but we'd rather not have to train some more people" he said and she retracted the blade as the man sighed, before she sliced across his arm making him cry out and clutch at the laceration her knife had caused

"There you go then" she said with a glance to him and he shook his head as the onlookers watched in disbelief that a newbie was taking such liberties and getting away with it as well

"Don't kill them, yet" he said and she flicked her knife once more before sliding it into her holster as she grabbed the younger girl and pulled her away from the canteen and up into the town where poor people moved around poorer looking buildings.

"Let me go" the girl demanded and Delta did so once they were in an empty training ground. Delta took a moment to sit down before facing the girl who had her arms crossed, to hide their shaking, and wore an angry expression to hide the tears in the corners of her eyes

"I didn't need you help" she spat and Delta looked at her silently "what'd you want?" she shouted and Delta stood up before embracing the girl

"One such as you need not fear me" she told her as the girl tried to push her away "the void will welcome you, because you are strong" she said and the girl punched her, though Delta did not react

"I'm not strong" she hissed and Delta shook her head

"Strength lies in both the arms and the head" she told her and the girl pushed her away, more gently this time as Delta let her go

"What do you want?" she asked more calmly

"To help" Delta said as she sat down once more while the girl stood before her, now more nervous than scared

"You're Delta, aren't you?" she asked and Delta nodded "the one who nearly killed Kabuto-san"

"Yes, I am" Delta answered

"Then why waste your time with me, though, if you want…_that_ I'll gladly give it to you over _them_" she spat with fear in her voice but determination in her eyes. Delta gently stood to take her face in her hands, stroking her cheeks and neck

"You are so beautiful…yes, this is what I wanted to find, one with a strong mind and heart, one who can find hope even in the darkness. That, to me, is true strength" she said as she gently kissed the girls forehead

"W-what?" the girl gasped

"Your name is?"

"Kin"

"You are strong, Kin-san, in mind if not body, but the body can be easily changed and made powerful. The mind is not so easily changed" she said and Kin shivered

"You…want to help me then? Truly?"

"Truly, Kin-san, I will help you become strong"

"Why?"

"Because such strength, and balance, is beautiful to me" Delta explained to her as she kissed her cheek softly while holding her hips so Kin was unable to pull back

"I'm beautiful to you?" Kin asked and Delta nodded

"Very, in death all is equal, but power, of mind and body, are this worlds true measure of beauty. There are many in this world who can kill thousands of people with ease but they are not beautiful. More beautiful is the woman who toils even while that threat hangs there to feed herself and her children, who sells her body and mind, but keeps possession of her soul. There are few souls able to do that, and they are the diamonds I seek amongst the coal" she said and Kin shivered, though this time it was in delight rather than fear

"W-what will you do with me then?" Kin asked

"I will take you under my protection, that will keep the men away from you, along with some of the women in this place. And I will train you, I will seep you in the same dark void that I was…I will make you strong" she told Kin who nodded her head

"Like Orochimaru would?" she asked and Delta shook her head

"I will bend you, heat you and shape you, I will allow you to become strong, but it will be your own will that decides whether the strength can be taken. The Snake gives power, whereas I offer the path to achieving it yourself. It will be yours…It, will be pure" she said and Kin appeared to think for a moment before nodding

"Do it then" she said while moving forwards so Delta embraced her tightly

"I will protect those that may become strong" she said and Kin let out a soft sigh

"Can I be weak?" she asked softly and Delta kissed the top of her head once more

"All is equal in death" she said and Kin shook before Delta felt tears wetting her uniform as she stood there, in the sunshine, holding Kin as she opened herself to Delta and allowed herself to be guided down another path to that that Orochimaru offered her.

Training ground seventeen was filled with dust and blood as Delta walked into it, along with nearly a dozen other fresh recruits, all clearly swords for hire looking for a better job than robbing caravans. She glanced around the desperate and the bloodthirsty and began to play with one of her knives in full view of everyone.

She was somewhat surprised that her name had already begun to so rapidly spread amongst the rank and file but she decided that it was likely for the best. She wouldn't want to kill most of the Snake's army now, that wouldn't be fun at all, neither would it be productive for the future of the region, though already it was clear to her that the cracks were showing. Fear can only lend so much strength to someone after all, eventually it saps the body and heart of strength and leaves it to die in the frozen wasteland. That was why the Snake betrayed his own people so willingly, despite their adoration of him.

She found herself smiling at that thought as she watched the trainer arrive

"Get in line you pieces of shit" he roared and they did so, even as she remained with her blade in hand, watching as he made his way down the line, both testing them and letting them know who was in charge here, as many of the men were totally undisciplined and therefore only power would keep them in line

"Put that away" he snarled at her and she locked eyes with him. His own eyes were darkened by years of the horrors he had committed, but they still held something…something Delta's eyes had not held for many years now.

They stood facing each other, the man leaning over her as she remained relaxed, her icy blue eyes peering into his soul, into the blackness that dwelt there along with his fears, the one primal fear so few animals could truly overcome and remove from their psyche

"Do you fear death?" she asked him and he twitched as though startled, she could tell he was beginning to sweat, his heart rate climbing as adrenaline surged into his veins "do you fear the darkness?" she asked as she took a step back while she stepped forwards, her blade still dancing in the dusty air with a casual grace so like her

"Stand back" he snarled, though she could sense he unease, the growing panic in his voice

"I don't…the darkness, the void, is afraid of me" she whispered in that nearly seductive tone of hers as she finally stopped and re-sheathed her blade for now into its holster before watching him as he stood glaring at her

"Your fine" he finally said, nearly chocking on the words as they left his mouth "go" he told her and she walked off while the other men kept looking ahead, unwilling to meet her eyes, lest they gain the same unwanted attention the trainer had received from her.

She wandered through the streets filled with the smell of dust and rotting food and other such scents that filled the nose, the town barely having a working sewer system never mind anything else more advanced. She walked the streets to see the despair and desperation of those living there. The families selling their sons and daughters to the Snake for food and water and whatever else they needed, the sounds of flesh striking bone followed by a whimper of pain as a daughter was beaten by her husband or father.

She felt no anger towards the people here. During her training she had come to realise that this was, to an point, humans true nature. Humans were capable of great evil and great good in equal measure, but at their most basic, with the rules and regulations of society and culture to mediate and modify their behaviour they often reverted back to more primal forms, easy conducting violence against one another as a form of control as a replacement for respect and love. Though those things certainly existed in different forms here. And while the acts here made it easier and easier for her to think about killing them, for now she would have to reign in that instinct of hers. She needed a place to stay after all.

That, and it was hard to tell which of the people here held the values she desired, that power of spirit, not of body and mind.

In that regard Kin was perfect for her. The girl needed protection and assistance to become stronger, she had a strong mind but that can only carry one so far in a world of physical power only. So Delta would train her, she would shape her into whatever shape Kin wished to become, a weapon to protect, or a weapon to slay. After all, there was that saying; 'the threat of one blade keeps another in its sheath'. The threat of violence could defend just as well as the act of violence itself.

For now, though, she needed to earn some money, buy a place (not particularly hard in this place) and then start training Kin properly. But she would not survive the same treatment that Delta had over the years, she needed something softer, something more caring with one who desired to only see her grow into someone strong and unafraid of the world around her.

She walked into the training ground where she had left Kin to find the girl sitting on fallen log while looking at the ground almost solemnly.

"Kin" she called out softly as the girl looked up to her and nodded "shall we get started then?" she asked and the girl nodded again, a determined look on her face as she stood up and walked over to Delta who smiled slightly at her look

"Come on then" Kin said almost impatiently and Delta shook her head slowly

"I will do the basics with you first of all, we will train your mind as we go" she said and Kin frowned

"So I am weak" she spat

"You have the potential to be strong, stronger than even that Snake if you wished. But I speak of a different kind of strength to his" she told Kin who was now glaring daggers at her, she thought for a moment before nodding to herself "fight me then" she told Kin who balked at the idea of fighting someone who had very nearly killed Orochimaru's right hand man

"No" she said with fear in her voice as Delta turned to face her, lifting her hood to cover her face once again as she stood with her hands clasped in front of her

"You fear me, you fear the men around your and are terrified of your surroundings around you. You, are scared" Delta said plainly, her voice cool and level the whole time, a far cry from her usual near playful, or seductive, tone of voice

"I am not afraid" Kin all but snarled as she readied herself to fight, the anger in her eyes lessening her fear

"You fear death, the same as all those here. You are no stronger than they are, because you, are afraid" Delta said again and Kin hesitated before throwing her bells, attached to needles, around the area, carpeting it as she began her technique, one designed to induce visions and the like in the target as she readied a kunai.

Delta heard the ringing of the bells and felt the sting of pain along with the accompanying illusion that began to twist and alter her vision as she kept herself looking straight at Kin even as multiple copies appeared

"A low level illusion technique" she said softly as Kin lunged towards her, crying out in desperation as she drove the sharpened weapon towards Delta with the sole goal of killing her "however" Delta muttered as she dislocated her own finger without a blink, the flash of pain washing away the illusion as she sidestepped the blow and tripped Kin over, watching as she barely managed to right herself before leaping away from Delta who continued to watch her even as she reset her broken finger

"You don't know know chakra?" Kin gasped and Delta nodded

"I had no need to, with the irregularity with which I sustained injuries. I never need it after all" Delta explained as Kin snarled and leapt at her over and over and over again until she fell to the ground

"Your anger overcomes your fear, but soon that fear returns. My strength is too far out of your reach" Delta said as Kin roared and struck out again and again, even as tears began to spill from her cheeks and she stumbled before falling to her knees

"Goddamn it!" she screamed as she punched the ground with her fists as Delta put her hood down and looked down at Kin

"Power is attainable, Kin, what is rarely there is the will to obtain it, whatever the cost. Do you want to be strong? To rid yourself of this fear you have?" she asked and Kin nodded her head furiously "then I will help you, but know this, being powerful by itself will not rid you of fear" she told the girl who looked up at her while wiping away her tears

"What?" she asked

"Even the most powerful men fear the Reaper when she visits them, that is the origin of most fear. Rid yourself of the fear of death, and you rid yourself of the purest form of fear" she explained as Kin watched her

"But…I can't" she said before Delta gently took her face in her hands, wiping away the last of her tears

"Not by yourself, no. But I will be here to help" she said and Kin nodded before Delta moved back before turning to face her "lets get to it then, we'll start with the basics. But I should warn you, for power, there is always a price. And the greater that power the greater the price. This training will push you beyond your limits, Kin, it will hurt. Are you still willing?"

"Yes" Kin replied immediately and without hesitation and Delta nodded

"Very well then, lets go through the basics then"

Delta set Kin up and then sat down as the girl began to work her way through the basic regime. Although it was basic it was more like a Jonin's training regime than anything a Chunin, let along a Genin should be doing. Numerous laps adding up to four or five miles, followed by push ups, sit up and squats alongside basic combat training with Delta herself. But even this was relatively easy compared to what Delta had put herself through to become what she now was. That regime lasted most of the day some days. Kin was getting off lightly as far as Delta was concerned.

She watched the girl run silently, watching her form and body, noticing the slight stumbles and moments where her pace changed suddenly to reduce some pain or something else. By about halfway an hour had passed and the girl was panting as she continued, sweat pouring off of her in drips as she began to slow down

"Come on Kin" Delta called to her "your more than halfway there now" she said and Kin began to run again, clearly pushing through the pain she was feeling to continue on running at Delta's urging but after a few more laps she collapsed onto her knees, panting as Delta walked over to her

"I can't" she gasped and Delta lifted her chin gently to look her in the eyes

"You can, or are you telling me your just like all the rest here?" Delta asked and Kin growled faintly "where's all that fire gone, Kin? Was it all just talk, are you exactly the same as the Sound five, bowing your head to a monster and stealing power for yourself? Are you that pathetic?" she asked softly and Kin pushed her away

"Fuck you" she snarled before she got back to running, continuing as Delta's words rang through her mind

"Good girl" Delta muttered to herself as she stood in the centre of the field and continued to watch Kin train.

She saw a few men looking over at them but one glance from her was enough to send them away and not look back as she turned her attention back to Kin as the girl threw off her jacket and skirt to revel she sleeveless shirt and the somewhat tight shorts she was wearing underneath it all, barely pausing as she did so to carry on running as her mid-back length raven black hair blew in the wind behind her, the ribbon holding it together at the end just barely holding it in place as she ran.

However a few laps short she stumbled and nearly fell before Delta caught her

"Good girl, Kin-chan" she praised her, kissing her sweaty forehead affectionately as she held her loosely "you're doing far better than I thought you would" she said with a small but genuine smile and Kin nodded

"Please" she begged softly and Delta lifted her chin again

"Can you do a little more? For me? Please Kin-chan?" she asked the girl who looked conflicted while Delta gently stroked her arms "I'll give you something if you do" she said and Kin nodded slowly, clearly in pain as she desperately tried to finish the last few laps before finally her legs gave out.

Delta caught her easily and carried her into the shade of a few trees where she sat with Kin laying on her cloak, her feet in Delta's lap

"Delta-san?" she asked

"Yes" she replied as she began to softly massage the muscles, making Kin whimper softly before sighing in relief

"I didn't finish?" she asked as though confused

"You did, you did very well for your first time doing something like that without the aid of chakra. So I think you more than deserve a rest and this" she told the girl who nodded and closed her eyes, her heart rate lowering as her body began to cool off.

Delta massaged the girls muscles firmly, moving gradually up Kin's legs, who despite her discomfort did little to discourage her, her fingers coming dangerously close to her inner thigh before she switched legs

"Something else you picked up?" Kin suddenly asked her tiredly and Delta nodded slowly

"Something like that" she replied vaguely, knowing it mostly from having to massage her own sore muscles to enable her to rapidly rest and recover so she was able to carry on training despite her body's warnings not to. She also quite liked the feel of Kin's skin and muscles under her hands. Though her legs were certainly feminine they still held the evidence of years of training, though none of it had ever been as intense was what Delta was putting her through. Her skin was smooth and held no scars despite what must have been a difficult childhood.

"You are very beautiful Kin" Delta said and Kin looked up at her as Delta finished up with her leg and sat back

"I'm…not that pretty" she argued softly and Delta looked at her

"Everyone has their own visions of beauty, but even I can see your beauty. But perhaps you will believe me as we carry on training, after all a side effect of all this will be that you will look..better shall we say" she told Kin who did not respond, but Delta didn't mind that too much, it was probably part of Kin's lack of confidence, caused by her lack of strength, and fear, after all.

Delta stood up after a few more minutes and made Kin stand as well, gently keeping hold of her lest she fall over

"I don't think you'll be able to manage those squats in this state, we'll just do the strength training then. Then if we have time I'll go through the combat training with you" Delta said and Kin nodded, despite the pained look on her face.

The push-ups and pull-ups were even harder for Kin, who was not very strong to begin with and Delta soon called a stop to it before standing in the field and taking up her usual stance, putting her knives on a log before taking up her position facing Kin with her needles

"The easiest way to train is to fight in true battlefields, that is the ultimate test that so many fail" Delta told Kin as she spread her hands, her face hidden in the shadow of her hood "therefore, try to kill me, if you do not, I _will_ hurt you" she told her, watching Kin swallow softly before taking a breath before launching herself at Delta, throwing her needles as Delta dodged and danced around them before Kin pulled out her kunai and began to slash and thrust it at Delta with the sole goal of killing her, something Delta was pleasantly surprised at.

"Good Kin-chan, faster" she said as the girl winced at the pain in her legs but continued slashing at her sensei who continued to easily dodge and evade her as easily as water flowing around a stone

"Damn it, stand still" she groused as she threw her weapon at Delta who caught it easily and threw it back, causing Kin to gasp as Delta went on the offensive, using only a small fraction of her true strength and speed as she struck against Kin, giving her time to react and block her

"That's it Kin-chan, don't fear what I may do, don't fear me, think only about my next move, and the move after that. Watch me and only me" she said as she lazily threw punches that Kin began to dodge with greater and greater ease as she began to get into her zone, it was a slow process, but experience would improve that.

Delta twisted and darted behind Kin and knocked her to her knees, watching as she failed to roll with it, so she jumped back and let Kin regain her bearings

"You need to roll with my attacks Kin" she told her as the girl locked eyes with her, no longer afraid of her but still shocked at her speed "you are not as strong as me, so you must deflect, not block, my attacks" she said and Kin nodded somewhat hesitantly before Delta began to attack her again, Kin sidestepping her attacks and pushing her blows aside as Delta smiled before stopping suddenly and hugging Kin

"Thats it" she praised her, kissing her cheek "very _very_ good Kin-chan, that's precisely what you need to do, I'm glad you picked up what I was doing with your attacks" she said and Kin smiled softly at being praised so earnestly and honesty by her teacher

"Thank you" she muttered and Delta laughed softly as she pulled back

"It is all true, I'm very proud of you Kin-chan, if you want we can carry on or you can head back and we can carry on tomorrow"

"But what about my missions?" Kin asked and Delta smiled that dangerous small smile of hers

"You can do them, you need the money after all as do I, but otherwise I will train you" she said and Kin nodded

"Okay" she said as Delta sat down and reached into her cloak to remove a few ration bars which she handed to Kin

"Was this the kind of training you did?" Kin asked her and she hummed in thought for a few moments while chewing on the cardboard of the bar,

"Mine was much more intense than this" she said

"Like?"

"I once spent a month nearly starving myself inside a forest, simulating being behind enemy lines whilst being hunted by them, though technically those bandits actually were looking for me" she told Kin who looked shocked before slowly nodded

"Is that why you call Orochimaru-sama 'Snake'?" she asked and Delta nodded

"He is afraid, he fears death above all else, he fears the Void without knowing what it is. One who cowers before death is not one worthy of my respect, because no matter how powerful he appears to be, his fear has consumed him and will destroy him some day. That hourglass around his neck is already counting down" she said to Kin who looked away but nodded all the same

"Will you be here tomorrow?" she asked and Delta nodded

"Of course, have a good rest Kin-chan, take this knife of mine and just mention me if someone tries to give you trouble" she told Kin as she deftly handed her one of her razor sharp knives while leaning back against the log

"Thank you Delta-san" Kin said with a small bow and Delta smiled at her

"I'll see you tomorrow Kin-chan" she said as she watched the girl redress before leaving the field, leaving Delta alone with her thoughts and plans.

She couldn't wait for her first mission after all.

_**The End**_

**This is the second chapter, or story, that I am thinking of writing. The others will not be quite this big or as finished because writing a chapter in a day is difficult and time consuming, so I hope you'll forgive me for that. And as I said previously, please do vote once all the chapters are up at the end of the week or so.**


	3. Chapter 3: Blacksmith

Prologue

The smell of burning filled the dark air, choked with coal dust that was quickly swept away by a slight breeze. The heat was stifling and it made even the simple act of walking or raising an arm hard, sweat pouring from the brow as the action was attempted.

Naruko sighed to herself as she surveyed the space that was her workshop. From the large forge in one corner of the room, a massive thing contained in metal and stone, but even that was unable to retain all the heat that poured out from the opening in the centre of it, the lid could be opened to the reveal the oval shaped area inside that burned as hot as magma. The buckets of water and oil, various clamps sat attached to several benches along a wall next to the furnace, stacked with various materials and fittings, all freshly made from the forge, ready to be utilised in any number of ways. The anvil's sat ready with the hammers stored in a bucket next to them, all of various weights, sizes and shapes for forging her goods. The tongs sat next to the forge as she placed them back and stepped back to gaze at the mixture of tools and items she now had available to her, even the hammers were her own handy work after all.

She wanted a furnace as well, to mix the alloy she required for her more specialised goods but alas that was but a dream for the moment, her not having enough money for the moment, having gone nearly bankrupt from the building of this place.

She strode out of the basement and ascended into the ground floor of her shop, taking care to lock the heavy metal door behind her as she encountered the main storeroom, filled with the real weapons and their various fixtures, many needing only a few more hours in the workshop to be finished. Waiting to be customised to the customer.

She shut that door as well and turned towards the front of the store, walking through the doorway into its bright space. Dark wood covered the floors and walls, the roof a light beige colour, the windows barred to deter theft of the weapons she had stored here. The finished items were all locked down in the basement storage anyway, so all the items on display in front of her, hanging on the walls, in display cabinets and even on small cushions for the most expensive ones. The counter took up all of the rear of the store, underneath it were all the basic repair kits and the like needed to keep weapons and the like in good condition, they could only do so much but even so it made her job easier if it was kept in good condition in the first place, the kunai and that were also under here, the only finished weapons in her store save for the one on her belt at the moment.

The place was bright enough to show off the quality of the pieces without hurting the eyes with all the polished metal around. It gave the right kind of mood to the place as well, she thought, a darker air that other stores, allowing the mind to accept that many of these things were meant for the sole purpose of killing and little else. The armors were a different matter.

The store was also divided into two sections, one on the left being filled with tools of the ninja trade and the like, high quality goods and a large variety of them as well. The other was designed more for civilians, smaller blades that could easily be hidden and the like, kits for tools and even some tools as well, such as bows and arrows along with various knives and axes. It was armor that stood out the most though, standing on mannequins it looked like normal clothing, but looks can be deceiving, everything on that side was designed for defence mostly after all.

All in all she felt the place was good. Her forge was ready, her items were all on display, now she only had to wait for someone to walk in here. She may have set up right on the other side of the street from the main retailer in this town, but she was more than confident that she would be able to out compete him, he sold mostly mass produced, inferior goods while hers were made for the elite, ninja or civilian.

She opened the door and hoped back over the counter and stood straight, waiting for her first customer. It would not be too long after all.

Chapter One

The sun was just beginning to rise over the false horizon of trees, casting great beams of yellow-orange light across the village of Konoha, when Tenten found herself standing outside of the new weapon store that had just opened in front of the other weapons store, the one where she worked and gathered all of her weapons from. The sounds of birds distracted her for a brief moment before she heard the door to the shop click open, at six in the morning it was very early for any shop to be open in this town, but then again, this store felt different from her own.

She had worked there for several years now, manning the counter and dealing with customers, stacking boxes and the like, and not feeling like she was really getting much out of the deal at the end of it. They stocked mostly mass produced, one-size-fits-all stuff that did the job but was not overly nice to work with, especially since the material was usually low quality. But it was all cheap, it needed to be after all, however just by glancing at the weapons in the window of this new shop Tenten could see they were not your cheap jobs. They looked highly polished and the markings on them clearly revealed their custom nature, however these were clearly display pieces, the handles had not been fixed properly and the sheathes were missing entirely, the polished effect was likely just wax, completely faked to draw in more customers. But nevertheless, Tenten could not deny the quality of the blades.

She had been thinking about coming here for a few weeks now. She was tired of her weapons breaking, or being slightly too heavy or not heavy enough for her to use effectively. In battle the smallest length of time could change whether or not you died, or your opponent did. So quality weapons were in demand, but were always in short supply. There were every few true blacksmiths left in the world, what with the use of mass production and the like thanks to those 'Black Factories' that existed.

With these thoughts in her mind Tenten pushed open the door and stepped, almost cautiously, into the store, looking around all the while, feeling its warmth seep into her cold skin.

What she saw made her jaw drop. The weapons were all clearly well made with only the highest quality materials, even the handles and sheaths appeared truly handcrafted, with great care taken to ensure a perfect fit and look for each and every weapon that she saw. From small knives, to tantos and katanas, everything she expected was here, but then there were scythes, large blades as tall as herself, straight swords with chains attached to the end and numerous other oddities her store never even saw let alone stocked. It made her drool at the thought of utilising some of these in combat, their rarity made them very hard to defend against as very few people had ever even seen them let along viewed how they were supposed to be used in combat.

She walked around the shop in a daze, feeling the razor sharp edges of the blades, the knives perfect balance and odd shape, the clothing on the other side of the store that felt strangely metallic and hard. All of these things made her head spin, who in the world could produce such fine craftsmanship and not be employed by the Shogunate?

"Good morning" a voice called out and she turned from the knives to see a young woman, with short blonde hair, ocean deep blue eyes, and lightly tanned skin looking over at her

"Good morning" Tenten replied as the woman wiped soot from her face and hands, putting the cloth into her belt as she hopped over the counter, revealing her firm defined muscles, the sheath hanging from her belt made Tenten sure this woman was the one that had made all of these and she had a sudden sense of fandom overcome her, much like as if Lady Tsunade had suddenly walked into the room. She had always admired women who refused to submit to this world run by men after all.

"May I see?" the woman asked and Tenten blinked in confusion as the woman took her hands in hers, turning them over and running her thumb over her callouses, looking her up and down, gently pressing her fingers against her arms and back, along with her shoulder and upper chest, light touching her abdomen before pulling back, leaving Tenten feeling embarrassed, confused and a little upset over what had just happened

"What are you…?" she tried to ask angrily before the woman cut her off

"You must be Tenten-san" she said and Tenten blinked, shocked

"How do you know that?" she asked with suspicion in her tone

"I had heard the name before, that you were a 'weapon mistress', your musculature supports that" she said and Tenten blinked, trying desperately to remain on sure footing as the woman spoke

"What?"

"Your muscles groups" the woman explained "none of them were over or under developed, save a few in your lower back and legs, but that's not overly important. Did you come here to buy a weapon?" the woman then asked while moving over to the left side wall while Tenten watched her

"Yes" she replied simply though she winced internally, this woman was strange, even though she was brilliant. Tenten wanted to leave at that moment, not only that but the price of these things was likely to be extreme

"I see" the woman said thoughtfully while closing her eyes for a few moments "I know, you specialise in throwing weapons, so…" she trailed off as she picked up a knife, no bigger than her hand, shaped like square with one end tapered to a point. There was no handle, instead the entire thing was sharpened save a darker portion at the back, the entire thing being quite thin

"What?" Tenten asked as she woman deftly handled the strange knife, balancing it on a finger one moment before twirling it around, spinning it in her palm before holding it out to Tenten who took it gingerly and immediately felt the lightness of it, along with the sharpness of its edges

"These are my own design, they're designed to pass through a target, they're smaller and lighter than kunai, easier to pack and carry and create nearly no sound when thrown" she told Tenten who looked at little dubious at the last part before the woman took the knife back and deftly threw it at the counter, the knife easily sinking quite a ways into the wood and Tenten was shocked to find she had not heard the usual whistling sound that was produced when most knives were thrown

"Oh" Tenten said after a moment, unable to think of anything to say

"These are perfect for assassination of a target, and are able to slip between armour very easily as well, however they are only throwing knives, you cannot use them for close quarters" she said and Tenten nodded before the woman took another weapon off of the wall

"This is similar to a pike" she said, the weapon being like a bo-staff but tipped with a spear point at the end. It was nearly as tall as her but she twisted and twirled with it rather easily "it is for both defence and offence and easily provides greater reach than conventional weapons without compromising on weight, as most weapons do" she explained

"But its wood" Tenten pointed out

"Indeed, but the wood it very sturdy and has been treated, the handle" she said motioning down the length of the weapon "is contoured to allow for lunging thrusts and aggressive handling, the bonds that fasten it together are very durable, they won't break without extreme pressure" she said and Tenten's look grew more and more impressed as the woman talked her through the weapons special features and the like, causing her to realise that the woman was likely familiar with how to handle each and every weapon in the store.

"The counterweight is quite heavy, it makes it a little slower but the power given when thrusting is greatly improved, it also makes it more stable, being harder to knock away. And finally, this barbed spearhead is very, very effective at punching through even heavy armour, let alone light-armor" she said and Tenten nodded with a dumb look on her face and the woman handed the pike over to her, allowing Tenten to feel the fantastic balance of the weapon alongside its surprising agility as she twirled it around with ease while the woman watched

"This stuff is amazing" Tenten then remarked and the woman nodded, still completely professional

"Thank you, I make almost all of it myself, the upgrades to this pike were my own design, alas I was forced to purchase the shaft from another store" she told Tenten who nodded absently, admiring the straightness of the shaft

"How much is it?" she then asked with some trepidation as the woman hopped back over the counter

"For the knives and that? About 120,000 yen" she said and Tenten gaped

"I don't have that kind of cash" she moped, she really, really wanted these weapons, but these were quality goods and as such she was unlikely to be able to afford them for some time

"Tell you what" the woman then said as she took the items off of Tenten before walking downstairs briefly and returning with a different set, the real ones, Tenten guessed correctly

"I'll make you a deal" she said "you promise to only shop here from now on, and I'll drop that price to 90,000 yen, then you can pay me back in instalments, okay?" she said and Tenten looked at her in astonishment

"A-are you sure?" she asked, knowing just how much money that was, she had just managed to get a quarter off without doing anything

"Of course I am Tenten-san, just make that little promise for me and you can go about your day, I won't lose anything if you pay me it all back eventually after all" she said and Tenten nodded

"Sure, defiantly, I'll only shop here from now on" she said and the woman smiled at her

"Very good, here you are now, just be careful with the knives, they are quite capable of cutting a finger off if you grab the wrong end, as the pike, well, I'm sure you've handled a staff before, its similar but with different attacks" she said and Tenten nodded

"Thank you very much" she said honestly, a little taken aback by the show of generosity "I'll see you again…um" she trailed off as she realised she didn't know the womans name

"Naruko" she replied "Naruko Uzumaki"

"I'll see you soon Uzumaki-san" Tenten said and with a smile large enough to split her face in half she exited the store and made her way to the nearest training ground to test her latest addition out in peace. She was definitely going to pay Naruko back for that show of generosity, at least she knew where nearly all of her earns were going to go now, there was no way she was going to go anywhere else when she could get his kind of quality there.

Naruko stood straight behind her counter, watching the people peer into her shop and walk away. It had only been a few days since she had opened and already she was surprised at how many customers she had received, given the value she set most of pieces at, she had expected at least some reluctance, but with even that Genin, Tenten, buying from her despite the cost she had reevaluated the costs of many of her pieces. The cost came down to the purity of the metal and the time she had to take to make the custom pieces. While it was certainly a great deal less time than the man across the street had to take to make some of his own pieces it was still time taken, and so she added her own little cost onto it, even if it was almost second nature to her now.

She smoothed down her clothing, damaged as it was from the sparks and heat from the furnace burning away beneath her feet. It was simple, dark trousers and a black shirt she needed little else, since anything more fancy would only get ruined by the heat of the furnace and her own sweat, or give away the sheer amount of crap that tended to get on her clothes when she worked the forge. She had no orders to fill for the moment, since despite her popularity very few customers had sought anything more than kunai or basic equipment, which she had in stock, but it was not her particular area of expertise.

She looked up when the door opened and a familiar face peered in as though unsure about whether to enter or not

"Good morning Tenten-san" she called out to the girl who noticed her and began to walk over.

She had brown hair up in two buns, brown eyes and was dressed in what appeared to be her usual attire, consisting of a pink blouse and dark green trousers that hugged her contours rather well.

"Good morning Uzumaki-san" Tenten replied with a small smile

"What brings you back so soon?" Naruko asked seriously

"I, uh, need some help" Tenten admitted, blushing a little and Naruko nodded

"With the staff?" she asked and Tenten nodded "that's fine, it's quite a difficult weapon to get a handle on, especially due to its versatility" she explained and Tenten nodded with a sigh

"Yeah, I tried practising with the thrust and all, but I just…it didn't feel right" she explained and Naruko nodded

"I'll be happy to help when I go on my break" she said and Tenten smiled gratefully

"Thank you, Uzumaki-san"

"It's no problem, we can talk about some things as well" she said and Tenten frowned

"Like what?" she asked suspiciously

"Nothing like what you're thinking I suspect" Naruko said "I meant things such as your combat abilities and the like, its a common thing I've noticed here" she said and Tenten frowned but did not try to rebuke her so Naruko turned her attention back to the door

"Hey, uh, you wouldn't happen to have a job for me would you?" Tenten then asked and Naruko shook her head

"Not right now, no. I'm quite capable of handling all of this myself anyway" she said and Tenten pouted

"Damn it" she muttered under her breath

Suddenly the door was pushed in once again and two women walked in, chatting to each other

"Are you sure?" one of them, a woman with purple spiky hair, wearing a trench coat, asked her companion who was glaring at her

"Yugito-san, good morning" Naruko said with a small bow

"Good morning Uzumaki-san" she replied

"Are you here for your order?" she asked and Yugito nodded before Naruko removed it from under the counter and presented it, taking off the wrapping as she handed it to the woman who inspected the simple sheath and the blade inside

"It feels really nice" she muttered and Naruko nodded

"I rebalanced the blade for you and redid the joint between the blade and handle, it should feel easier to handle now, unfortunately I could not do more without more materials. I would've liked to have redone the handle to fit your hand perfectly, and modified the spine of the blade. But this should do" she said and Yugito nodded

"It's perfect" she said in astonishment

"I guess she is good then" the other woman said "Anko Mitarashi" she introduced herself

"Naruko Uzumaki" she replied

"This is some impressive stuff here" she said and Naruko nodded

"Thank you, I do try for a variety in here" she said while looking Anko up and down

"What?" Anko asked with a soft hiss

"I see, Jonin level and you use mostly hand-to-hand techniques, I can only think of a few weapons that might suit you" she said and Anko raised an eyebrow before turning to Yugito who now had her sword secured in its sheath on her belt

"She did that to me as well, she suggested several weapons to me that would compliment my fighting style, despite never having seen me fight" she said with a glance to Naruko who nodded

"You can tell a great deal from someones body language and the way their body is built" she said

"Then, what would suit me?" Anko asked her

"Something easy to use and flexible, it would have to be knife, probably curved" she said before pointing at one in particular

"This one?" Anko asked with a dangerous smile as she picked the blade up

"Yes, its light enough of quick strikes and even throw, the serrated edges will rip the flesh to shreds. I suspect if it was curved it would be better in hand-to-hand, however I find that is a good compromise" she said as she watched Anko play with the knife, serrated on one side, the handle allowing for even a loose grip to secure it in the hand with ease

"I like it" Anko said with a dangerous grin

"Good"

"How much is it?" she asked and Naruko gestured to the price tag making her whistle "bit much" she said

"I only sell the best Mitarashi-san" she told her "these are all designed to last dozens of battles, not just one or two" she said and Anko hummed in thought, wincing when she cut herself testing the edge

"It's certainly good quality" she said absently

"You can always order a custom one Mitarashi-san, I'll have it ready in about two days" she said and Anko looked at her with a grin

"Really?" she asked and Naruko nodded

"It'll cost a little more but will be more suited to your tastes I think" she said and Anko nodded

"Okay then, that suits me just fine" she admitted and Naruko nodded

"Very well then, may I?" she asked as she took hold of Anko's hand and traced over it before nodding to herself

"Done already?" Anko asked in surprise

"Yep, come back in a few days and it'll be all ready for you"

"I like you" Anko said with a laugh

"I know all about the weapons in this store Mitarashi-san, I build them all after all. I'm usually open around six, in case you need emergency supplies" she said and Anko nodded

"Count me in, I'd rather by here than with that pervert over the street" she said and Naruko bowed as she noticed Tenten nodding her head at Anko's statement

"Thank you very much, in that case, I'll see you in a few days" she said and Anko nodded as she and Yugito both left the shop before she turned to Tenten

"Let me close up and I'll come with you" she said and Tenten nodded while patiently waiting for Naruko to finish up.

**_For now this is all I've written for this, as I said, but I think you get the general thrust of the idea._**


	4. Chapter 4: Chi

Prologue

It was cold. The sky was clear, and the early morning air carried with it the sweet scent of flowers from the lower slopes of the mountain, the trees rustled pleasingly and everything, for a moment, seemed at peace.

The monastery was small with only three main buildings. The one at the centre, where the faint path led up to, was used for sparring and meditation, the second building, with the same base design of a rectangle with wooden walls and floors but smaller, and a sloping roof of clay tiles, was used for sleeping and the preparing of meals, with its own stove and such inside of it, all wood-fired. The final building was still only a single story, and was used to store the weapons and such inside of itself.

Behind the third building was a large clearing, used for sparring and training when the weather permitted it. At its edge sat a single peach tree, only just coming into blossom as the air warmed and the world turned its thoughts to spring and the rebirth of life.

At the base of the tree Naruko sat, dressed in her attire of loose white trousers and a jacket, of a sort, tied around the middle with a dark blue sash. She sat in the lotus position, focusing her attention inward totally, seeking to alter her own flow of chi and mesh it with the world around her, to draw in its energies and contain it, she still had to contain the spirit inside of her own soul after all.

She had been at the monastery, alone, for the better part of a decade now, and since her first day she had fixed it up and trained near sixteen hours a day, to the point of near exhaustion, until she at least partially mastered the various techniques she had seen playing in the Kyubi's own mind, of a time when ninjas were nothing more than myth and legend, and humans that captured spirits were killed for such insolence.

That had changed quickly.

But now she had attained a level of detachment from the material world, and her own past. She belonged in the moment, there was only ever the moment. So the days passed in relative quiet, save for the occasional fleeting glimpse of the spirits that were beginning to gradually appear to her.

Chapter One

"Goodbye"

Naruko watched as her temporary student walked away from her, back down the slope to the life she had left behind almost a year ago now. Naruko had trained her as best she could, but in the end she couldn't, in good conscience, teach her how to better kill people, that was not something she was prepared to do. Despite her detachment from the affairs of the world she had no need or want to spread hatred and death.

"Are you sure that's wise?" a voice asked her and Naruko looked to her side to see a little girl looking up at her, her hands tucked in the sleeves of her kimono, a simple floral piece. The young girls golden eyes looked after the girl that had taken her leave

"She has honour enough to not betray me, Feng, you should know that" Naruko replied softly before turning away and heading back inside

The young girl grinned as a tail appeared from under her kimono

"Of course Naruko-sama" she replied in a sultry tone of voice that Naruko ignored as she stood in the centre of her home and began to slowly move through some of her basic katas

"Shall I prepare tea?" Feng then asked and Naruko opened her eyes slowly while breathing out

"That won't be necessary, I will be leaving in a few days" she said and Feng looked at her closely

"Are you sure that's wise, Naruko-sama?"

"I am, Feng, I cannot understand the world without seeing it for myself"

"If you say so, I shall collect some provisions for you" she said before vanishing, leaving Naruko alone to sink into the depths of her mind once again.

She slipped in easily enough, many years of practise made such a state of mind simple to attain for her. Appearing before a cage of white she walked up to the door and looked into the depths of the blackness

"You again" a voice came out from the darkness, a pair of blood red eyes opening to gaze at Naruko

"Yes" Naruko replied simply, sitting in front of the cage and closing her eyes, as was her routine every time she came here, where her own real demon dwelt

"You should let me out, you've restored my mind after all" the voice said as a figure began to emerge from the darkness

"Feng would also like that, but that will not happen" Naruko replied softly, the white bars of the cage growing wider as she focused, becoming stronger to prevent the force they held in check from breaking free

"Why not?" the creature asked, clear anger in its tone

"You are too dangerous, it would be wiser to gather you all again, and seal you all away permanently" Naruko told the beast as it took the form of a woman with long black hair and beautiful features that seemed to shift constantly, trying to tempt Naruko through a basic illusion, its shifting nature belying the creatures inability to find a single thing to attract Naruko to it.

"You would never be able to" the woman said confidently, gazing down at Naruko disdainfully

"I disagree, I have already stabilised your existence, sealing you permanently would be difficult, but shattering you would not be. You would take several decades to return" she said and the creature sniffed

"You won't do it, the other humans would stop you"

"True, they are…difficult at the best of times" she said and the beast smirked

"It appears you are not that stupid after all"

"Feng could not trick me, you cannot trick me. You refuse to help me despite everything, so I cannot let you leave" she said and the beast suddenly changed, a massive blood-red fox filling the cage as its claw shot out, halted only by the bars on the cage.

Naruko sighed

"You never learn. Very well" she said as she stood and held out a hand "I will isolate you again, may you sleep well" she said, and the bars blurred together, shattering the claw, which vanished into black particles that were swiftly absorbed by the white energy of the cage.

"Damn you!" the demon roared

"Sleep" Naruko commanded "sleep again, Kyubi , when you awake we will talk again" she said and gradually the sounds behind the bars grew less and less until silence reigned.

With her talk concluded, Naruko walked away from the cage, opening her eyes to face Feng who was watching her with a small smile.

"Yes Feng?" Naruko asked her

"Well?"

"Nothing has changed, Feng, you know that" she said and Feng looked disappointed for a moment before shaking herself out of it

"Shall we leave?" she asked energetically and Naruko smiled softly, petting Feng who practically purred at the attention

"Tomorrow Feng, tomorrow" she said and Feng nodded, looking happy at being petted.

For all their power, foxes were rather helpless, in some respects, when it came to monks and others that knew of their existence, though only those who could use Chi were really a threat to them, even ninjas did very poorly, since their methods of dealing with illusions were rather barbaric at best.

"Shall I make dinner then?" Feng asked and Naruko nodded

"If you wish" she said and Feng ran off, briefly shifting into her fox form to run faster into one of the buildings.

Naruko leaned back under the peach tree and gazed through its trees up into the night sky, thinking back of things long since past.

She had found Feng a few years ago now. The young, relatively speaking, fox had been caught in a trap laid out by hunters of the village beneath the mountain, she had called out for help and Naruko had been walking past the area on her way to the small village to beg for food once again that week.

She had entered the clearing and found a young, beautiful woman. She had approached but made no move to aid the woman, she sensed something off with the flow of Chi in the area, and realised that such a trap should not have caught a woman in its maw. They had spoken briefly and Feng had revealed her true nature after Naruko accused her of being such a creature. From then Naruko had spontaneously noticed Feng in the area, gradually things had been done before Naruko could get to them. The path was always swept, the floors cleaned, breakfast had even been made several times and left next to her bed.

A few months afterwards and she had called out to Feng, offering to take her in, and revealing her own nature. Feng had accepted, partly out of debt for the help Naruko had lent her and partly out of a health dose of respect for a human so disciplined, and a container of her peoples most powerful member.

Feng was cheeky, and still sought to pull Naruko from the righteous path and divert her attention, but loyal and had even defended Naruko when she had been attacked by a couple of bandits who thought robbing a monk would gain them something.

Tomorrow morning she would descend her mountain home to visit the lands she had left over decade ago now, she would stop in the town, to help them with whatever they needed, and then she would take her leave, she knew she could entrust the monastery to the few nature spirits that darted from her sight in the early mornings, more foxes no doubt.

The next morning she stood ready to leave. With a bowl for begging, a pouch of herbs and ointments, a few pieces of meat in her pack and the clothes on her back. She slipped on her large straw hat, and picked up her staff before looking down at the fox at her feet

"Lets go Feng" she said before turning to the monastery

"I'll entrust this place to you until I return" she said to the air before walking away, moving down the worn stone steps towards the small village at the foot of the tall climb.

As she walked she took slow breaths and stretched her mind to its limits to view the flow of Chi around her, she could feel the other spirits watching them leave the monastery, some even appeared sad to see her leave. But nonetheless she carried on walking until she arrived at the village, some of the villagers were already out, moving around, hunters were preparing to leave and the farmers were talking amongst themselves

"Naruko-Shishou" a villager said, bowing her head in respect as Naruko smiled kindly and touched her head lightly, blessing her as best she could, she did not believe she had any divine powers, but the villagers thought differently and so she played along, it brought them peace, and sometimes that was enough.

"Good morning everyone" she said as the children gathered around her as she lay her hand on each and every one of them "Feng" she called out and the fox leapt up to her shoulder, the kids looked at it before deciding it was cute and starting to play with Feng who went along with it

"Are you going somewhere, Naruko-shishou?" a farmer asked and Naruko nodded

"It is time for my travels" she confirmed and they looked at one another

"Well, we'll miss you here Naruko-shishou, I know some of the other villages were looking forward to having a real monk to take the festivals" he said and Naruko bowed her head apologetically

"I apologise, I trust, though, your daughter has been well since last winter?" she asked and the man beamed

"Certainly Naruko-shishou, that ointment you used cleared that nasty infection right up, she's still a bit off, but shes alive" he said and Naruko nodded

"That is good"

She spent some time conversing with the villagers, playing with the children by showing them some tricks using Chi, which amused them to no end. But as the sun climbed higher into the sky she bid them farewell

"Goodbye" she called over the shoulder, the villagers chorusing it back along with numerous other statements. With a small smile she picked up Feng, holding her in one arm, and carried on walking towards the next village down the road.

**_This one is very short due to a lack of time on my part, and the other one I was planning for release isn't quite done yet, so that might be a day or_**_two._


End file.
